India to tour Pakistan for baseball qualifying

The five-nation tournament also features Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Iran.

KARACHI: The Indian baseball team will be visiting Pakistan for the first time to in order to take part in the 10th South-West Asia Baseball Cup 2012 that kicks off in Lahore on March 23.

The five-nation tournament also features Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Iran. Baseball Federation of Pakistan (BFP) President Shaukat Javed believes the event will go a long way in promoting the sport in the country.

“It’s an important event and we have high hopes from it,” Javed told The Express Tribune. “India will be visiting Pakistan for the first time so that’s an added attraction.”

The tournament will serve as a qualifying round for the Asian Baseball Cup which is due to take place in November. Pakistan is placed in the Asian Baseball Federation south-west zone with nine other countries and only one team from the region can qualify to for the Asian Baseball Cup. Pakistan’s current world ranking is 21, while they are placed fifth in the Asian standings after having won the Saarc Baseball Cup last year.

The BFP Secretary Pervaiz Shah Khawar was optimistic about Pakistan’s chances of qualifying for the Asian Baseball Cup.

“Our main competitors will be Sri Lanka and India but we have a very good chance of qualifying for the Asia Cup,” he said.